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“Preserve Our Heritage ” Psalm 78:3-7 *Click for Audio* Pastor Kevin Vogts Trinity Lutheran Church Paola, Kansas Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost / Blocktoberfest Outdoor Service—September 21, 2014 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Welcome to the first annual Blocktoberfest outdoor service. At the beginning of our service this morning, we read from Psalm 78: “What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. . . then they will put their trust in God and will not forget his deeds, but will keep his commands.” Public television is currently broadcasting a documentary series by the filmmaker Ken Burns about the Roosevelts, one of America’s most famous and historic families. Upon the death of family matriarch Sarah Delano Roosevelt, she willed the family’s grand estate at Hyde Park, New York to the United States government, to become the first presidential library and museum, in honor of her late son, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When government officials took over the estate and began taking inventory, they were flabbergasted at what they discovered in the attic of the old Roosevelt mansion. Hundreds of boxes, neatly stacked and labeled, each with layers of tissue paper inside, carefully concealing some treasured memento from the life of FDR. The lacey white gown he wore as a baby when he was baptized. The first letter he ever wrote to his mother, at age seven. The embossed prayer book he received on his confirmation. All the homework and papers from throughout his school years. Ribbons he won as a teenager at the county fair for his thoroughbred horses and prize cattle. His athletic sweater from Harvard. It had all been lovingly preserved by his devoted mother. “What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. . . then they will put their trust in God and will not forget his deeds, but will keep his commands.” Like Sarah Delano Roosevelt, we must “Preserve Our Heritage”—preserve our heritage for future generations. Most important of all, we must be devoted to preserving and passing on our spiritual heritage. My own great-grandmother was a Windler. Born in 1857 in Cole Camp, Missouri, she and her family were among the early settlers here at Block. Along with her family she is listed as living here already in the census of 1865. She was confirmed here in 1871, and in 1873 moved with her father and step-mother to Canton, Kansas, where she met and married my great-grandfather. It is amazing for me to realize that my own great-grandmother, Anna Adelhaide Windler, attended church and school so close to where I’m standing today. She passed away in 1939, and is buried in rural Canton, Kansas, in a country cemetery a lot like this one, at Immanuel, Spring Valley, my home congregation. Because I was the youngest in the family, I never really knew that generation, the great-aunts and uncles, and cousins, here at Block. But, my grandmother and mother would talk about them when I was a child, and I recognize a lot of familiar names in this cemetery too. In fact my great-great grandmother, Katherina Windler, was one of the first to be buried here. Her tombstone is the tall one with a cross on top, at the north end of the first row. It’s also amazing for me to realize that I now live just a few hundred feet from my great-great grandmother’s grave. When our forebearers settled here in the Kansas wilderness, with all the hardships and the very struggle for existence that they faced, what was most important to them? Practically the first thing they did was establish churches and schools, like Trinity in 1868, temples of God in the wilderness. For the men and women who settled here, like my great-great grandparents, Johann and Katherina Windler, times were tougher than we today can even imagine. But, they made it a top priority to build not only their own houses, but God’s house too. They worked unbelievably hard just to survive, and never stopped working—except one day each week. For, despite all their hardships and struggles—or maybe because of their hardships and struggles—our ancestors remembered the Sabbath Day to keep it holy, each week faithfully coming together with their families to worship here at the Lord’s house. Travel was over primitive, muddy roads by horse and buggy. Heat was with wood or coal; lighting was by candle or kerosene. The churches weren’t air-conditioned, and there were no padded pews. Yet, on any Sunday morning a century ago, you would have found almost the entire population in church, worshipping the Lord. What about us, today? It’s been nearly 150 years since Trinity was founded, and we now enjoy the benefits of amazing progress. We have all the modern conveniences of life. We have gained so much. But, are we losing what is most important? Are we forgetting our spiritual heritage? Too often Sunday morning finds us absent from the house of God. Too often we do not remember the Sabbath Day, as did our ancestors. “What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. . . then they will put their trust in God and will not forget his deeds, but will keep his commands.” That is why God’s children have been coming together here on the Sabbath Day for nearly 150 years, to celebrate “the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.” How he created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. How he promised of old to send a Savior to redeem the world. How for us men and for our salvation, his Son, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven and was made man, paying for our sins with the perfect sacrifice of his life, his suffering and death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead—and not only ours but for the sins of the whole world, that whoever believes in him receives forgiveness of sins in his name, and shall not perish but have eternal life. How he will come again in glory, and raise up these and all the dead, and give unto us and all believers in Christ eternal life. How he promises to hear and answer our prayers. How we worship and serve him out of gratitude for all his grace and blessing. How he promises to be with us always, to never leave us or forsake us, to work all things together for our good. “What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. . . then they will put their trust in God and will not forget his deeds, but will keep his commands.” Sarah Delano Roosevelt was so devoted to her son that she showed it, by preserving his heritage for future generations. Be devoted in your life to God’s Son, and show it, by preserving our heritage for future generations, especially our spiritual heritage. Preserve our heritage by worshipping weekly here at the Lord’s house. Preserve our heritage by helping to tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. Preserve our heritage by remaining faithful to the teachings of God’s holy Word. Preserve our heritage by living out your faith daily in a godly life, witnessing in your life to God’s grace and glory. This morning we are introducing the theme hymn for Trinity’s 150th anniversary, which we will celebrate in a few years. This beautiful new hymn is based on a verse from Hebrews: “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” So much has changed since my great-great grandparents, and perhaps yours too, settled here nearly 150 years ago. Many of these changes are a great blessing. But, sadly, over the past century and a half, and especially in recent years, many churches and denominations have turned away from the truth of God’s holy Word. “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” What a blessing it is that 150 years after they built a temple here in the wilderness, by God’s grace we still believe, teach, and confess the same faith as our forefathers. “Preserve Our Heritage”! Amen. 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“Preserve Our Heritage ”
Psalm 78:3-7

Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost / Blocktoberfest Outdoor Service—September 21, 2014

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Welcome to the first annual Blocktoberfest outdoor service. At the beginning of our service this morning, we read from Psalm 78:

“What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. . . then they will put their trust in God and will not forget his deeds, but will keep his commands.”

Public television is currently broadcasting a documentary series by the filmmaker Ken Burns about the Roosevelts, one of America’s most famous and historic families. Upon the death of family matriarch Sarah Delano Roosevelt, she willed the family’s grand estate at Hyde Park, New York to the United States government, to become the first presidential library and museum, in honor of her late son, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

When government officials took over the estate and began taking inventory, they were flabbergasted at what they discovered in the attic of the old Roosevelt mansion. Hundreds of boxes, neatly stacked and labeled, each with layers of tissue paper inside, carefully concealing some treasured memento from the life of FDR.

The lacey white gown he wore as a baby when he was baptized. The first letter he ever wrote to his mother, at age seven. The embossed prayer book he received on his confirmation. All the homework and papers from throughout his school years. Ribbons he won as a teenager at the county fair for his thoroughbred horses and prize cattle. His athletic sweater from Harvard. It had all been lovingly preserved by his devoted mother.

Like Sarah Delano Roosevelt, we must “Preserve Our Heritage”—preserve our heritage for future generations. Most important of all, we must be devoted to preserving and passing on our spiritual heritage.

My own great-grandmother was a Windler. Born in 1857 in Cole Camp, Missouri, she and her family were among the early settlers here at Block. Along with her family she is listed as living here already in the census of 1865. She was confirmed here in 1871, and in 1873 moved with her father and step-mother to Canton, Kansas, where she met and married my great-grandfather. It is amazing for me to realize that my own great-grandmother, Anna Adelhaide Windler, attended church and school so close to where I’m standing today.

She passed away in 1939, and is buried in rural Canton, Kansas, in a country cemetery a lot like this one, at Immanuel, Spring Valley, my home congregation. Because I was the youngest in the family, I never really knew that generation, the great-aunts and uncles, and cousins, here at Block. But, my grandmother and mother would talk about them when I was a child, and I recognize a lot of familiar names in this cemetery too. In fact my great-great grandmother, Katherina Windler, was one of the first to be buried here. Her tombstone is the tall one with a cross on top, at the north end of the first row. It’s also amazing for me to realize that I now live just a few hundred feet from my great-great grandmother’s grave.

When our forebearers settled here in the Kansas wilderness, with all the hardships and the very struggle for existence that they faced, what was most important to them? Practically the first thing they did was establish churches and schools, like Trinity in 1868, temples of God in the wilderness. For the men and women who settled here, like my great-great grandparents, Johann and Katherina Windler, times were tougher than we today can even imagine. But, they made it a top priority to build not only their own houses, but God’s house too.

They worked unbelievably hard just to survive, and never stopped working—except one day each week. For, despite all their hardships and struggles—or maybe because of their hardships and struggles—our ancestors remembered the Sabbath Day to keep it holy, each week faithfully coming together with their families to worship here at the Lord’s house.

Travel was over primitive, muddy roads by horse and buggy. Heat was with wood or coal; lighting was by candle or kerosene. The churches weren’t air-conditioned, and there were no padded pews. Yet, on any Sunday morning a century ago, you would have found almost the entire population in church, worshipping the Lord.

What about us, today? It’s been nearly 150 years since Trinity was founded, and we now enjoy the benefits of amazing progress. We have all the modern conveniences of life. We have gained so much. But, are we losing what is most important? Are we forgetting our spiritual heritage? Too often Sunday morning finds us absent from the house of God. Too often we do not remember the Sabbath Day, as did our ancestors.

That is why God’s children have been coming together here on the Sabbath Day for nearly 150 years, to celebrate “the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.”

How he created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. How he promised of old to send a Savior to redeem the world. How for us men and for our salvation, his Son, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven and was made man, paying for our sins with the perfect sacrifice of his life, his suffering and death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead—and not only ours but for the sins of the whole world, that whoever believes in him receives forgiveness of sins in his name, and shall not perish but have eternal life. How he will come again in glory, and raise up these and all the dead, and give unto us and all believers in Christ eternal life. How he promises to hear and answer our prayers. How we worship and serve him out of gratitude for all his grace and blessing. How he promises to be with us always, to never leave us or forsake us, to work all things together for our good.

Sarah Delano Roosevelt was so devoted to her son that she showed it, by preserving his heritage for future generations. Be devoted in your life to God’s Son, and show it, by preserving our heritage for future generations, especially our spiritual heritage.

Preserve our heritage by worshipping weekly here at the Lord’s house. Preserve our heritage by helping to tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. Preserve our heritage by remaining faithful to the teachings of God’s holy Word. Preserve our heritage by living out your faith daily in a godly life, witnessing in your life to God’s grace and glory.

This morning we are introducing the theme hymn for Trinity’s 150th anniversary, which we will celebrate in a few years. This beautiful new hymn is based on a verse from Hebrews: “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.”

So much has changed since my great-great grandparents, and perhaps yours too, settled here nearly 150 years ago. Many of these changes are a great blessing. But, sadly, over the past century and a half, and especially in recent years, many churches and denominations have turned away from the truth of God’s holy Word.

“Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” What a blessing it is that 150 years after they built a temple here in the wilderness, by God’s grace we still believe, teach, and confess the same faith as our forefathers.

“Preserve Our Heritage”!

Amen.

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